A hyperbaric chamber explosion at the Oxford Center in Troy, Michigan, killed 5-year-old Thomas Cooper. Following the incident, Fieger Law announced a $100 million lawsuit against Sechrist Industries, Inc., the chamber’s manufacturer, and other parties connected to the Oxford Center, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Fieger Law says the chamber where Thomas was treated had no proper fire precautions or warnings about fire risks. James Harrington, the company’s managing partner, said, “It was a foreseeable, inevitable, and virtually certain result of Defendants’ callous indifference to human life." CBS News Detroit reported that the facility had missed yearly inspections recommended by the manufacturer, and no medical doctor or safety supervisor was present during the treatment.
A hyperbaric oxygen chamber explosion injured Thomas’s mother and led to a lawsuit. Harrington described the chambers as "coffins waiting to ignite." Michigan Attorney Dana Nessel said the treatment was done by an unlicensed technician and safety measures, like a grounding strap, were not followed. Harrington added, "Her physical wounds are healing, but the emotional damage will never heal," as mentioned by Detroit Free Press. The lawsuit names Sechrist Industries and people involved at the facility, including Tamela Peterson, CEO of the Oxford Center, and technician Aleta Moffitt.
